Smart Workout Goals & Girl Trek
Hi Byte Wellness Fam,
How are you feeling?
I feel ready…I finally got the rest I promised myself last week. Then I had the simultaneous victory and indulgence of joining Coach Ro and the GirlTrek walking group in Pasadena, CA this morning.
Even at that early hour, the walk was invigorating. And the ladies (some in their 70s) were inspiring.
Highly recommend anyone in the Los Angeles area to check them out. (More on Girl Trek below.)
After all that, I’m ready to confront all that’s going on in the world here and abroad. And, I’m ready to leap into action with you as we finish the 11th week of Wellness RESET.
If someone sent you this post, you can sign up here to get your own Self-Love Letter sent directly to your inbox.
In this week’s #PhyteWellWednesday Workshop, we wrapped up our discussion on MOVEMENT as our 3rd wellness superpower.
In the second half of the conversation, we worked together on a goal-setting exercise using the MyTERMS framework (great for setting health goals that are personalized and achievable).
Whether you’re executing different types of workouts in a full-fledged gym routine or working your way up to a 30 minute workout at home, that Wednesday conversation has something powerful to offer you.
You can click the video above to watch the recording. And, make sure you’re on the invite list for next Wednesday’s workshop by sending TEXT to 1(866)717-1919.
Discussion question
When is the last time you successfully built a new exercise habit? What was the key to your success?
Working Twice As Hard on Health
In the last 3 weeks, we’ve talked about movement as healing. We discussed how and why getting regular movement gives us a better shot at preventing and managing chronic diseases.
According to organizations like the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO), some people should double their minutes of cardio activity (and get 300 minutes of moderate activity or 150 minutes of vigorous activity per week).
Who should double the CDC’s workout recommendations to maintain their health? Anyone who’s actively managing chronic disease risk factors or an actual diagnosis like obesity, high blood pressure, pre-diabetes/type 2 diabetes, etc.
I believe said group includes all of us (Black women and Black folks, generally) whether we have a clear disease diagnosis, strong family history, or not.
By my reasoning, the constant strain of living within dehumanizing structures counts as a social disease risk factor for a whole range of otherwise preventable conditions, just like having a BRCA mutation is a genetic risk factor for breast cancer.
Listen, I’m not just making this up.
Consider the studies we’ve reviewed showing how human bodies translate chronic stress into chronic inflammation, which leads to physical illness.
They show that Black folks display higher levels of chronic inflammation than their White counterparts in the U.S. They also note and that the level of chronic inflammation increases as we note more experiences with racism.
Following the science (and the lived experience) you can see why I’m convinced being a Black woman in America is a risk factor that requires EXTRA self-care through exercise (in addition to sleep, stress-management, and eating).
And, you already know this…that’s why you’re here :)
One way to get that 300 minutes of moderate exercise (or 150 minutes of vigorous exercise) per week is to join a GirlTrek walking group in your city.
Check out the Girl Trek website or search “Girl Trek ___[your city]___” on Facebook to find Treks near you.
How the Body Benefits From Movement
Moving more has anti-inflammatory and disease-blocking power in part because of Vitamin M (chemicals called myokines) that are released from muscles when we use them.
So, how exactly does the body benefit from movement? All those myokines that are released when we use our muscles are healing! Many are anti-inflammatory, blocking chronic inflammation (which is a root cause of many of the conditions below).
Here’s a list of some of the conditions that physical activity can help us prevent and manage (CDC).
Type 2 Diabetes
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
High Cholesterol (Hyperlipidemia)
Excessive Fat (Obesity)
Dementia
Chronic Pain Syndromes like Fibromyalgia
Cancers
Lung Cancer
Stomach and Colorectal Cancer
Uterine Cancer
How to Make Movement Work For Us
Now that you see how movement can help us thrive (by preventing disease or keeping it under control), are you sold on moving more?
Of course, right!? I think I knew the answer to that one.
So, we’re planning to move more, but now we need to be clear on how much movement we need to reap optimal benefits.
There are two types of movement to pay attention to:
Background Activity (any moving around outside of sitting/lying down that doesn’t raise your heart rate much or make you breathe more heavily)
Exercise (any physical activity that gets you breathing more heavily and raises your heart rate)
How Much Background Activity Do I Need?
Generally, studies say the more background activity we can fit into every day without hurting ourselves, the better. Another way to put it is:
LESS = MORE
[sitting] LESS than 5 hours = MORE [life]
Studies on sitting tend to use sitting fewer than 5 hours per day as the ideal for best health. Compared to people who sit less than 5 hours, research shows that people who sit for twice that period (more than 10 hours) have increased risks of every lifestyle-related disease, dementia, and many cancers.
What If I Have to Sit At Work?
Sitting is a big part of office work culture in the U.S. So, sitting for fewer than 5 hours per day may seem like an impossibility for those of us with 9-to-5s who work at desks with computers.
Don’t worry, even if we have to sit for most of our workday, we can still get some benefit from Vitamin M (Myokines) by interrupting our sitting with some sort of movement multiple times throughout the day.
Here are some easy ways to get extra background activity:
Exercising while sitting or standing:
fidgeting
standing periodically (i.e every 30 minutes)
spending extended time standing (at a standing desk or while doing chores, etc)
doing sitting leg exercises
doing seated arm exercises
Walking more:
taking the stairs instead of the elevator
walking up the escalator instead of standing still on it
active commuting (biking to work or for errands); parking a few blocks away from your destination and walking the rest of the way
WHAT TYPES OF EXERCISES SHOULD I DO?
There’s background activity, which is any movement that doesn’t change your heart rate or breathing.
Then there’s exercise, or working out.
As necessary as it is to do lots of light movement in the background of our everyday lives, it’s still important to get our hearts pumping and our muscles working hard through actual exercise.
The CDC recommends getting a certain amount of exercise each week, depending on how intense the exercise is.
150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week (2 hours and 30 minutes)
OR 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week (1 hour and 15 minutes)
AND at least 2 days of resistance activity (weight lifting or body weight exercises like pushups)
Keep in mind that the those are the guidelines for general health. Folks with increased risk (like us) may need to double those minutes.
Are you getting enough movement? Meeting the CDC’s exercise recommendations? Moving as much as possible (and sitting as little as possible) in everyday life?
What types of workouts can you think of to fit the CDC’s recommendations?
If not, it might be a good idea to watch the workshop recording (above) to see how we use the MyTerms goal-setting framework to give us the best shot at building a new exercise habit.
Happy, Healthy Living,
Dr. Wuse